Marks & Spencer to Open Store in Australia

British fashion brand Marks & Spencer is coming to Australia. In preparation for its Australian launch, the company appointed two new directors to Marks & Spencer (Australia) Pty Ltd, which had been dormant for about 7 years.

They are Anthony Clarke, assistant company secretary, and Melissa Lovell, director.

The British retailer's entry into Australia is part of chief executive officer Marc Bolland's strategy to transform Marks & Spencer from a traditional British high street retailer into an international multi-channel retailer.

With the Australian retail market already overcrowded, the foray of Marks & Spencer into the Land Down Under would also be timed with the entry of other foreign fashion chains such as H&M from Sweden and Uniqlo from Japan.

However, the Marks & Spencer retail outlet in Australia won't be large department stores similar to David Jones and Myer but would be small format stores only one-fifth the size of large retailers.

The first branch would likely be in Sydney. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Marks & Spencer is considering opening its first outlet at 333 George Street which is being redeveloped into a $250-million office and retail tower.

Marks & Spencer uses the small format retail model, measuring about 2,000 square metres in its 16 outlets in Hong Kong and 10 in Singapore where it carry fashion, beauty and gourmet food.

The British fashion icon has 766 stores across UK and runs 418 other outlets in Europe and Asia.